Des Moines Public Library - televisionhttp://dmpl.org/blog/tags/television
enSpies: In, Out, and Abouthttp://dmpl.org/blog/media-musings/spies-out-and-about
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://dmpl.org/sites/default/files/Chuck.jpg" width="220" height="300" alt="The DVD cover for the TV series Chuck, The Complete First SeasonChyck" title="Chuck" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>I was cruising in my car the other day when the song "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" came on the radio. It immediately reminded me of the TV series <em><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1414531JDI518.19484&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=11&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=chuck+season+dvd+zachary+levi&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38">Chuck</a>,</em> a drama-romance-comedy-action show all rolled into one that ran on NBC for five seasons (2007-2012). The song, by the band Cake, was the show's emblematic theme song, or at least an instrumental version of it was. The character of Chuck, as played by Zachary Levi, was a very intelligent computer nerd who’d once held high career aspirations. A series of curious events, however, had derailed those lofty plans and Chuck found himself marking time as a geek squad member of a big box electronics store. Then, into his life came a very fit and attractive blonde who worked at the neighboring yogurt store. Small talk ensued, of&nbsp;course, but all was not as it seemed. It turned out that the cute salesgirl was only hawking yogurt as a cover for her real identity, that of a spy! Thus began the premise of a delightfully entertaining, and for the most part, un-categorizable show. A show that took great pleasure in borrowing from as many different narrative genres as possible and melding them into something quite unique. For all of its perpetual play with genre conventions and expectations, however, it still came down to being a show&nbsp;about spies.</p>
<p>Maybe the masterminds behind <em>Chuck</em> felt that they had to be particularly inventive in an era when there's been no shortage of spy series from which to choose. While there might not be an absolute glut of spy shows right now, it may well fall into the category of “more than you can shake a stick at.” Since 1997, when <em>La Femme Nikita</em> premiered on the USA network and was the top-rated drama on American basic cable during its first two of five seasons, spies have been hot! We’ve had <em><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1414531JDI518.19484&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=21&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=alias+jennifer+garner&amp;x=6&amp;y=5&amp;aspect=subtab38">Alias</a>, <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1414531JDI518.19484&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=25&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=kiefer+sutherland+24&amp;x=12&amp;y=10&amp;aspect=subtab38">24</a>, <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1414531JDI518.19484&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=29&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=mi+-+5+volume+dvd&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38">MI-5</a>, <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1414531JDI518.19484&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=31&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=burn+notice+dvd&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38">Burn Notice</a>, Nikita </em>(yes, a remake of<em> La Femme Nikita</em>),<em> <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1414531JDI518.19484&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=3&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=covert+affairs+dvd&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38">Covert Affairs</a>, <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1414531JDI518.19484&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=6&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=homeland+danes+season&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38">Homeland</a></em>, <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1414531JDI518.19484&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100015~!38401~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=11&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=The+Americans.+The+complete+first+season+%5BDVD%5D.&amp;index=PDVD"><em>The Americans</em></a>, and even the animated spoof&nbsp;<a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1414531JDI518.19484&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=24&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=archer+H.+Jon+Benjamin&amp;x=9&amp;y=10&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>Archer</em></a>, among others. What’s more, movie screens have also been awash in spy sagas, some of which became movie franchises: four <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=6&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=bourne+kennedy%2Fmarshall&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>Bourne</em></a> films, three <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=1&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=austin+powers+dvd&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>Austin Powers</em></a> comedies, four <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;view=subscriptionsummary&amp;uri=full=3100001~!814450~!0&amp;ri=5&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;staffonly=&amp;term=mission+impossible+cruise&amp;index=.GW&amp;uindex=&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=5"><em>Mission: Impossible</em></a> pics, and two <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=17&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=agent+cody+banks&amp;x=13&amp;y=2&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>Agent Cody Banks</em></a> flicks (for the kids). This continuing spate of spy shows and films came after a decades-long drought of such properties. You have to go all the way back to the sixties to find the previous period in which the spy genre held sway – and, boy, did it hold sway during the swingin’ sixties.</p>
<p>There is no question as to what started the sixties spy craze. The immense popularity of the James Bond film <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100015~!35351~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=19&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Dr.+No+%5BDVD%5D+%2F&amp;index=PDVD"><em>Dr. No</em></a> in 1962 (the U.S. release was in 1963) quickly led to additional Bond films being made. While <em>Dr. No</em> wasn’t the first spy picture of the sixties, it was clearly the first to become a blockbuster. When <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;view=subscriptionsummary&amp;uri=full=3100001~!710279~!1&amp;ri=27&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;staffonly=&amp;term=from+russia+with+love+dvd&amp;index=.GW&amp;uindex=&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=27"><em>From Russia with Love</em></a> and <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;view=subscriptionsummary&amp;uri=full=3100001~!710277~!3&amp;ri=29&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;staffonly=&amp;term=goldfinger+dvd&amp;index=.GW&amp;uindex=&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=29"><em>Goldfinger</em></a> repeated and even improved upon that initial level of box office success, producers everywhere sought to tap into that market. Among the spy series launched in the mid-sixties were Derek Flint (starring James Coburn), Matt Helm (Dean Martin), and Hugh Drummond (Richard Johnson). Like the Bond films, those movies didn’t take spy craft very seriously, opting instead for ridiculously unlikely gadgets, deliciously evil villains, ridiculously unlikely plots, and delectably delicious females. Numerous similar, but one-off films clogged movie theaters for the rest of the decade. Unfortunately, as a group, they just weren’t very good.</p>
<p>Not all sixties spy flicks, however, were campy. In fact, there were plenty of attempts to depict espionage accurately. Unfortunately, many of those movies were also epic fails. Two that managed to rise above the rest were <em>The Ipcress File</em> (though its two sequels didn’t fare nearly as well) and <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100015~!7458~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=41&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=The+spy+who+came+in+from+the+cold+%5BDVD%5D+%2F&amp;index=PDVD"><em>The Spy Who Came in from the Cold</em></a>. Another good title was <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100015~!2034~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=43&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Charade+%5BDVD%5D+%2F&amp;index=PDVD"><em>Charade</em></a>, though that film was as much romantic comedy as spy thriller. That’s pretty slim pickings for the number of spy films produced over the decade.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, television networks had far, far better luck developing quality spy properties than did the motion picture industry. Some of the best were produced in Britain and then reshown by American networks as part of their primetime schedules. The first of these was <em>Danger Man</em>, which actually predates Sean Connery’s initial James Bond appearance by roughly two years. Patrick McGoohan, who was considered for the Bond role that made Connery famous, starred as John Drake. That half-hour show only lasted one season (1960-1961 UK, 1961-1962 CBS), but was later revived – after the big screen success of Bond – as an hour-long series (renamed <em>Secret Agent</em> in the states) and ran on CBS for three more seasons. It’s most often referenced today through its theme song, “<a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;view=subscriptionsummary&amp;uri=full=3100001~!694407~!1&amp;ri=3&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;staffonly=&amp;term=secret+agent+man&amp;index=.CDW&amp;uindex=&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=3">Secret Agent Man</a>,” which became a number three hit for rocker Johnny Rivers in 1966. A few months after <em>Danger</em> Man debuted in Britain, <em>The Avengers</em> kicked off the first of its six series (the British equivalent of seasons). <em>The Avengers</em>, whose only series regular throughout its run was Patrick Macnee, didn’t make its way to American TV screens until ABC began airing the fourth series in the spring of 1966. The network paid enough for the rights to allow the British producers to move from shooting the show with black and white video cameras to lensing it with color film. <em>The Avengers</em> enjoyed a three-year run on ABC.</p>
<p><img alt="The DVD cover for The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: 8-Movie Collection." src="/sites/default/files/The%20Man%20from%20U.N.C.L.E..jpg" style="float:left; height:300px; margin:5px; width:210px" />American TV producers were just as eager to imitate Bond’s success on the small screen as were their British counterparts. In September 1964, NBC debuted <em>The Man from U.N.C.L.E.</em>, starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum (fifty years later, he’s still a TV series regular, portraying Ducky on <em>NCIS</em>!), as Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, respectively. Before the utter saturation of spy shows and films, <em>The Man from U.N.C.L.E.</em> was a huge success, but ratings rapidly eroded as the spy craze quickly burnt out. Nevertheless, the series lasted four seasons. Additionally, <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1548873~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=65&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=MAN+FROM+U.N.C.L.E.%2C+THE%3A+8-MOVIE+COLLECTION+%28DVD%29&amp;index=PALLTI">eight <em>U.N.C.L.E.</em>&nbsp;movies</a> were created for foreign markets by editing together two-part episodes and combining them with additional and/or newly-shot footage. The series was so popular at the start that three of those were even released to theaters domestically! It also spawned a (much inferior) spin-off series called <em>The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.</em>, starring Stefanie Powers.</p>
<p>The 1965-66 television season saw NBC launch a second hour-long spy show, simply titled <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=70&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=I+SPY+culp&amp;x=15&amp;y=11&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>I Spy</em></a>. Starring Robert Culp and Bill Cosby, the interracial, and equal, pairing of the lead roles was a first for an American network TV series. Filmed on international locations, the show treated spy craft seriously, but was better known for the lively, less serious, banter between the two stars. For the series’ three seasons, both Culp and Cosby were nominated for Emmys three times each, with Cosby making a clean sweep. That same fall, NBC also debuted <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=73&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=get+smart+feldon&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>Get Smart</em></a>, a half-hour spoof of the spy genre starring Don Adams, created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. The comedy was an instant hit and earned Adams three Emmys over the series’ five seasons, the last of which aired on CBS.</p>
<p><img alt="The DVD cover for Mission: Impossible, The Second TV Season." src="/sites/default/files/Mission%20Impossible_0.jpg" style="float:right; height:300px; margin:5px; width:212px" />In the fall of 1966, CBS finally premiered an American-made spy show of its own, <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=79&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=mission%3A+impossible+tv+season+&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>Mission: Impossible</em></a>. Although it originally starred Stephen Hill (who left after a single season), it is Peter Graves who is most identified with the show as leader of the special missions team. Featuring one of TV’s <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;view=subscriptionsummary&amp;uri=full=3100001~!603327~!3&amp;ri=8&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;staffonly=&amp;term=mission+impossible&amp;index=.CDW&amp;uindex=&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=8">greatest theme songs</a>/opening credit sequences, the series bypassed the often campy presentation of other sixties spy shows and, perhaps as a result, easily outlived all of its competitors by several years, ending its eight-season run in 1973.</p>
<p>Following the demise of <em>Mission: Impossible</em>, spy shows all but disappeared from American television screens for the next quarter century. The only substantial exceptions were CBS’s <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=81&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=scarecrow+and+mrs.+king+season&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>Scarecrow and Mrs. King</em></a> and ABC’s <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=84&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=macgyver+anderson&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>MacGyver</em></a>, both of which had nice network runs beginning in the mid-eighties. It may be a testament to the continuing nostalgia for those sixties series that such a large number of them have received new life as movies three and four decades later. <em>The Avengers, <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100015~!1556~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=88&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=I-spy+%5BDVD%5D+%2F&amp;index=PDVD">I Spy</a>, <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100015~!17892~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=90&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Get+Smart+%5BDVD%5D+%2F&amp;index=PDVD">Get Smart</a></em>, and <em>Mission: Impossible</em> have all received big screen treatments in recent years, while <em>The Man from U.N.C.L.E.</em> is reportedly slated for theater screens in 2015 with Henry (<em><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1438922~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=94&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Man+of+Steel&amp;index=PALLTI">Man of Steel</a>)</em> Cavill and Armie (<a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=Q4145921Y9633.20764&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100015~!37959~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=97&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=The+Lone+ranger+%5BDVD%5D+%2F&amp;index=PDVD"><em>The Lone Ranger</em></a>) Hammer filling the shoes of Vaughn and McCallum, respectively. Until then, come to the Des Moines Public Library and cry <em>U.N.C.L.E.</em> Or, say <em>I Spy, Get Smart, Mission: Impossible</em>, or any of the many spy shows, classic or contemporary, that we have to offer at your public library!</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/tags/spies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">spies</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/tags/television" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">television</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/tags/movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">movies</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Blog:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/media-musings" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Media Musings</a></div></div></div>Tue, 28 Oct 2014 21:47:49 +0000Kevin7821 at http://dmpl.orgIt's OK to Like Gilligan's Island (and Other Gimmicky Sixties Sitcoms)http://dmpl.org/blog/media-musings/its-ok-gilligans-island-and-other-gimmicky-sixties-sitcoms
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://dmpl.org/sites/default/files/Gilligan%27s%20Island.jpg" width="219" height="301" alt="Here is the DVD cover for season one of Gilligan&#039;s Island." title="Gilligan&#039;s Island" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Back when I attended Mount Vernon High School, there was a history teacher named Dick Peters who everyone loved. I <em>really</em> mean it! Whereas a teacher was really doing well if even a majority of students liked her/him, Mr. Peters was universally loved. As proof of that, he had the honor of receiving the 1987 Iowa Teacher of the Year Award. And, it wasn’t just students who were fond of him, as Mr. Peters was elected mayor of Mount Vernon during that same period. He was one of the most gregarious people I’ve ever known and he always did his best to win you over. For instance, as students filed into his classroom at the beginning of each period, he would individually welcome as many of them as he could.</p>
<p>Mr. Peters loved to tell stories and he also loved to collect them. He was particularly interested in the American West (in fact, one of the classes that he taught was The American West). I remember him telling us that every time he took a vacation out West, he saw it as an opportunity to gather more stories. He described himself as the sort of person who, if he saw an old timer sitting quietly on a bench at a two-pump gas station in some god-forsaken widening in the road, would see it as a prime opportunity to add to his collection. He always asked such strangers if they had a memorable story or two to share. Apparently, many of them did, because Dick Peters was brimming with uniquely engaging and frequently crazy stories from America’s pioneer past.</p>
<p>As a history teacher, Mr. Peters had an amazing ability to connect with his charges, no matter what their level of academic achievement. He often started class by recalling one of those wild stories to segue into the day’s curriculum, surreptitiously grabbing the attention of every student in a way that the assigned material, alone, often could not. He enjoyed telling his stories so much – and he was such a gifted and funny raconteur that the students equally enjoyed hearing them – that some class periods veered off the lesson plan and clearly into storyland. Certain students would purposely try to nudge Mr. Peters off subject. In some cases, I think it became a competition to see who could distract him to a storyland tangent first. Fortunately, most of Mr. Peter’s stories were filled with such splendid detail and worthwhile historical references that students received at least some degree of education whether they realized it or not.</p>
<p>And then there were other stories, ones he just liked to tell. Perhaps the funniest story he ever related was one in which he himself, Dick Peters, was the central protagonist. Dick grew up in a very small town in western Iowa (Orient, I think) with no paved roads at the time. The only sidewalks were the ones that skirted the school, so any kids who owned roller skates had to converge on that concrete to use them. One Saturday, when Dick was among the youngest children there, the older boys started coercing him to accept a dare. The dare was this: he had to climb to the top of the playground slide and, standing up, roll down the slide. He really wanted to fit in with them, so he took the dare. The climbing part was pretty tricky, but once he reached the top, he just took a deep breath and pushed off. Dick slid down in a flash! Instead of stopping at the bottom, however, his great rate of speed sent him soaring through the air. He landed on the ground with a tremendous thud. When the other kids gathered round to congratulate him, they found that Dick wasn’t moving. Scared that their dare may have killed him and fearful of shouldering the blame, the kids scattered and the schoolyard was empty in a scant few seconds. Several minutes later, a woman who lived across the street noticed that the usually busy playground was now curiously deserted, that is, except for one child lying motionless on the ground. She went to investigate and found Dick knocked cold. She revived him and found him to be in great pain. It turns out that he’d broken both wrists upon landing. As a result, Dick ended up with two plaster casts and the embarrassed admiration of all the boys in town for his effort. To hear Dick tell it is to laugh so hard that your belly hurts and tears streak your cheeks. I just hope that my print version does it half the justice as when it’s been delivered verbally – no doubt dozens, if not hundreds, of times – by Dick Peters.</p>
<p>After twenty-three years of teaching at Mount Vernon High School, Mr. Peters, now rechristened Richard E. Peters, became a professor at Cornell College, also in Mount Vernon. He retired a few years ago, was made a professor emeritus, and, last I heard, was still teaching one class a semester. Dick, er, Richard, if my memory has faltered in accurately retelling any of your stories, you have my apologies. I dredge them up at this late date with continued respect and admiration for you.</p>
<p>Mr. Peters sometimes drew upon popular culture to make a point or to augment class discussion. One surprising example is when he explained why sixties sitcom <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=S4N0O15850060.9671&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=2&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=gilligan%27s+island+dvd+complete&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>Gilligan’s Island</em></a> was the best sitcom ever. Reviled in many quarters as a brainless example of network television at its lowest common denominator worst, and despite lasting only three seasons on CBS, it became one of the most repeated and widely watched shows in television history. Mr. Peters was a fan because, unlike so many other comedies of the time, it wasn’t sentimental, preachy, or self-consciously clever – it was just <em>funny</em>. Many of the laughs are derived from silly slapstick situations and simple wordplay, but it does so expertly. I catch my own boys watching it from time to time and, I have to admit, it holds up pretty well. OK, I realize that for some readers, saying that is enough for them to assert that I have now lost all credibility, but as an avid viewer of <em>Gilligan’s Island</em> in my youth, I’m not going to back off that claim. Despite our continuously maturing tastes and constant intellectual growth, certain things remain near and dear to our hearts. For me, one of those things is <em>Gilligan’s Island</em>, and I might add, I have no less than one Richard E. Peters, Professor of Education Emeritus, in my corner.</p>
<p>In thinking back on <em>Gilligan’s Island</em> and other sixties sitcoms, something pops out at me: the generous number of gimmick-based comedies that were hits during the decade. Every decade has its share of gimmicky shows, but can any other decade claim anywhere near the number that have remained as popular in reruns as those from the sixties? Although those sixties series no longer play as often as they once did, they’re still very much beloved (because&nbsp;they're just <em>funny)</em>.&nbsp;Here are&nbsp;a few that still stand out:</p>
<p><em>Gilligan’s Island</em> – A small sightseeing boat with two crewmen and five passengers gets stranded on an “uncharted desert isle.” Despite myriad opportunities for rescue, Gilligan always fouls them up.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=14005D5XC8428.9679&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=3&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=bewitched+dvd+complete&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38">Bewitched</a>/<a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1JP0S16059119.9685&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=13&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=dream+eden+dvd+barbara&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38">I Dream of Jeannie</a></em> – The former features a beautiful, well-meaning witch, while the latter features a beautiful, well-meaning genie, each of whom unintentionally (mostly, anyway) makes miserable the life of the man she loves.</p>
<p><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=140R5163184N0.9705&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=4&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=+get+smart+don+dvd&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>Get Smart </em></a>– In the golden age of spy movies, Mel Brooks and Buck Henry teamed to create this TV series spoof in which bungling spy Maxwell Smart keeps finding success, in spite of himself.</p>
<p><em><img alt="DVD cover for the second season of Hogan's Heroes." src="/sites/default/files/Hogan%27s%20Heroes.jpg" style="float:right; height:300px; margin:5px; width:210px" /><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=14005G64J2C39.9711&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=5&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=hogan%27s+heroes+dvd+complete&amp;x=7&amp;y=10&amp;aspect=subtab38">Hogan’s Heroes</a></em> – In a WWII German POW camp, the German soldiers are fools and the Allied prisoners discreetly run the show, using the camp as a base for ongoing sabotage missions.</p>
<p><em>The Addams Family/<a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=B4K051655190J.9723&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1093741~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=1&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=The+Munsters.+The+complete+first+season&amp;index=PALLTI">The Munsters</a></em> – These series are often mentioned together because they both featured ghoulish families, were introduced within a week of each other, and ended after their second season, but the former had a lot of subversive material and sexual innuendo, while the latter was very innocent and full of slapstick.</p>
<p><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=14005N6E1P714.9729&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1321388~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=1&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Green+acres.+Farm+favorites&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Green Acres</em></a> – A successful New York lawyer and his glamorous, but ditzy Hungarian wife give up the high life for a stab at the good life by buying a farm in an area filled with eccentrics in this often surreal fish-out-of-water comedy.</p>
<p><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=14005O6C5A748.9734&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=5&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=mister+ed+dvd+young&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>Mister Ed</em></a> – Here’s a high concept show if ever there was one: a man owns a talking horse who only talks to him. Zany situations and crazy hijinks ensue. Oh yeah, there’s also his incredibly sexy wife who doesn’t understand why her husband spends so much time in the barn, rather than with her.</p>
<p><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=140MF167P5804.9738&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=2&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=+beverly+hillbillies+dvd&amp;x=18&amp;y=9&amp;aspect=subtab38"><em>The Beverly Hillbillies</em></a>&nbsp;– The biggest hit of the decade was this series about a dirt-poor family of southern hillbillies who suddenly strike it rich when oil is discovered on their property. They take their newfound millions and move to Beverly Hills, California, where&nbsp;the fun begins.</p>
<p>These and other sixties TV favorites are available in the collection of the Des Moines Public Library. Take a trip down memory lane, introduce them to your kids/grandkids, or find out for yourself one of the reasons why the Sensational Sixties were so sensational.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/tags/tv-shows" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">TV shows</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/tags/sitcoms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">sitcoms</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/tags/television" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">television</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/tags/comedies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">comedies</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Blog:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/media-musings" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Media Musings</a></div></div></div>Sat, 17 May 2014 20:53:26 +0000Kevin5787 at http://dmpl.orgReturn to "Downton Abbey"http://dmpl.org/blog/books-and-beyond/return-downton-abbey
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://dmpl.org/sites/default/files/downton-post_0.jpg" width="285" height="416" alt="&quot;Downton Abbey&quot;" title="&quot;Downton Abbey&quot;" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Happy New Year! What better way to start 2014 than with a new season of<em> Downton Abbey</em>?! If you’re a fan, you’ve been waiting almost a year to catch up with the family and staff of our favorite British estate...</p>
<p>Has Lady Mary moved on after husband Matthew’s death? Is Lady Edith still seeing her married newspaper editor? Will Anna and Mr. Bates finally have some happiness? Is cousin Rose going to shake things up? And what kind of trouble will valet Thomas cause? Without giving away too much, this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/05/arts/television/downton-abbey-returns-to-pbs.html?_r=0" style="text-decoration: none;"><em><u>New York Times</u></em><u><em> </em>article</u></a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/in-season-4-downton-abbey-tries-to-stick-to-its-knitting/2014/01/02/303e18d2-629b-11e3-aa81-e1dab1360323_story.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><em><u>Washington Post</u></em><u><em> </em>story</u></a> and <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20768495,00.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><em><u>Entertainment Weekly</u></em><u><em> </em>feature</u></a> all tease the new season, which begins six months after the season 3 finale. Although these new episodes probably won’t require the huge box of tissues that last season did, you can still expect plenty of drama from both the upstairs and downstairs characters. Tune in to PBS on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. for the two-hour premiere.</p>
<p>In the meantime, stop by one of the library’s six locations for a variety of <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1388Q7Q28765R.3864&amp;menu=search&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;npp=20&amp;ipp=20&amp;spp=20&amp;profile=ce&amp;ri=1&amp;source=~%21horizon&amp;index=.GW&amp;term=downton+abbey&amp;x=17&amp;y=8&amp;aspect=subtab38" style="text-decoration: none;"><em><u>Downton Abbey</u></em><u><em> </em>materials</u></a>, including the first three seasons on DVD, music from the show, <em>Downton Abbey</em>-inspired cookbooks, and behind-the-scenes guides. We’ve also got the newest issue of <em>Entertainment Weekly</em>, which provides “the obsessive viewer’s guide” to the show, and plenty of readalike books that will help keep you occupied until Sunday night.&nbsp;Enjoy!</p>
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<article class="node-1183 node node-collection node-promoted view-mode-brick empty-nest clearfix" about="/shelf/adult/adult-fiction/if-you-liked/downton-abbey-read-alikes" typeof="sioc:Item foaf:Document">
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<h2 class="node__title node-title"><a href="/shelf/adult/adult-fiction/if-you-liked/downton-abbey-read-alikes">Downton Abbey Read Alikes</a></h2>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/tags/dmpl" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dmpl</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/tags/television" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">television</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/tags/books" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">books</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Blog:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/books-and-beyond" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Books and Beyond</a></div></div></div>Fri, 03 Jan 2014 22:31:30 +0000Leslie4478 at http://dmpl.orgJane Austen on Screenhttp://dmpl.org/blog/media-musings/jane-austen-screen
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://dmpl.org/sites/default/files/Jane%20Austen_2.jpg" width="221" height="254" alt="A drawing of Jane Austen." title="Jane Austen" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Earlier this fall, area movie screens played <em>Austenland</em>, yet another movie exploiting the seemingly endless interest in English novelist Jane Austen. <em>Austenland</em> stars Keri Russell as an American woman who obsesses over <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!894812~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=1&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Pride+and+prejudice&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Pride and Prejudice</em></a>, or more specifically, Mr. Darcy, as most famously portrayed by Colin Firth in the 1995 BBC miniseries adaptation. She uses her life savings to venture to England in order to visit an adult-aimed theme park that recreates Regency era England in hopes of finding her own Mr. Darcy. Reviews for the film weren’t particularly strong, but I suspect that for the targeted audience it probably delivers what’s expected.</p>
<p>Well before the release of <em>Austenland</em>, I’d often thought about the frequent use of Jane Austen’s works, personal life, and mythos to create film and television productions. Still, until I checked the Web, I had no idea how many Austen-related titles were actually out there. Dating back to 1938, when the BBC aired a 55-minute version of <em>Pride and Prejudice</em>, there have been over fifty Austen-related productions. That may not surprise you considering that there have been over 400 adaptations of William Shakespeare’s plays. There’s a big difference, however, as The Bard wrote 37 plays, while Austen’s relatively short life limited her to just six completed novels.</p>
<p>Austen was forty-one when she succumbed to an unknown disease in 1817 following a long illness. Her six novels were <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!775854~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=6&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Sense+and+sensibility.&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Sense and Sensibility</em></a> (1811), <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!850195~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=28&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Pride+and+prejudice+%2F&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Pride and Prejudice</em></a> (1813), <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!816644~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=32&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Mansfield+Park+%2F&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Mansfield Park</em></a> (1814), <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1060486~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=46&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Emma+%2F&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Emma</em></a> (1816), <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!786516~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=68&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Northanger+Abbey+%2F&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Northanger Abbey</em></a> (1818) and <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!814191~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=81&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Persuasion+%2F&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Persuasion</em></a> (1818). Unfortunately, she received neither critical nor popular acclaim in her lifetime. Her meteoric climb to prominence seems to have begun after a nephew published a biography of her in 1869, shedding light on her trailblazing importance and the exquisite quality of her work. A century and a half later, she is one of the most-read authors in the English language.</p>
<p>Prior to 1995, there had been over two dozen adaptations of Austen’s works. Aside from a lavishly mounted 1940 version of <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1301269~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=89&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Pride+and+prejudice&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Pride and Prejudice</em></a> and 1980’s quasi-Austen movie <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!976697~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=91&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Jane+Austen+in+Manhattan&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Jane Austen in Manhattan</em></a>, every other adaptation of her work during that time was made for television. For whatever reason, 1995 proved a watershed year for Austen adaptations. In the eighteen years since, there have been as many adaptations of Austen’s works as were made in the previous fifty-seven years. What’s more, as many theatrical films have been made as have telefilms.</p>
<p><img alt="Persuasion DVD cover" src="/sites/default/files/Persuasion_0.jpg" style="float:left; height:286px; margin:5px; width:198px" />Surprisingly, the film that got the Austen bandwagon rolling in the United States was <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1136268~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=52&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Clueless&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Clueless</em></a>, writer/director Amy Heckerling’s modern, teen comedy take on Austen’s <em>Emma</em>. Next was <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!993063~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=56&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Persuasion&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Persuasion</em></a>, which was originally intended as a standard BBC Two telefilm. Additional last-minute funding by U.S. and French backers, however, led to an increase in production values, including it being shot on 35mm film. Although it appeared on British television in April, it was released to U.S. theaters in September and then to movie houses worldwide. <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!897088~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=10&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Sense+and+sensibility&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Sense and Sensibility</em></a>, adapted by and starring Emma Thompson, was released theatrically in December, while the previously-mentioned landmark miniseries <em>Pride and Prejudice</em> debuted on BBC TV in September before premiering here on PBS in January 1996. Rather than a mere coincidence or a minor fad restricted to 1995, the Jane Austen craze has continued ever since.</p>
<p>The Des Moines Public Library has over two dozen DVDs that are either adaptations of Austen’s novels, productions based on her life, or films inspired by her characters. The following list gives you a rundown of her novels, and the choices you have among filmed adaptations in our collection. The quality of these titles, with very few exceptions, is superb.</p>
<p><em>Sense and Sensibility:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><em><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1272215~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=12&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Sense+and+sensibility&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Sense and Sensibility</em></a>, a 1981 BBC-produced seven-part TV series;</em></li>
<li><em>Sense and Sensibility</em>, a 1995 movie by Oscar-winning director Ang Lee;</li>
<li><em><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1000032~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=17&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=I+have+found+it+Kandukondain+kandukondain+%2F&amp;index=PALLTI">I Have Found It</a> (Kandukondain, Kandukondain)</em>, a 2000 movie made in Bollywood (India);</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1113594~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=24&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Sense+%26+sensibility&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Sense &amp; Sensibility</em></a>, a 2008 BBC mini-series; and</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1254167~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=26&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=From+Prada+to+nada&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>From Prada to Nada</em></a>, a 2011 movie providing a modern-day Latino take on Austen’s first novel.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Pride and Prejudice:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><em>Pride and Prejudice</em>, a 1940 MGM production starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier;</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1065355~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=101&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Pride+and+prejudice+or%2C+First+impressions+%2F&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Pride and Prejudice</em></a>, a 1980 miniseries jointly produced by the BBC and Australia’s ABC;</li>
<li><em>Pride and Prejudice</em>, a 1995 BBC miniseries starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth;</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!992101~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=103&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Bride+%26+prejudice&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Bride &amp; Prejudice</em></a>, a 2004 film set in the present with an Indian, British, and American cast; and</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1038794~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=108&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Pride+and+prejudice&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Pride &amp; Prejudice</em></a>, a 2005 movie starring Keira Knightly.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Mansfield Park:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1218487~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=36&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Mansfield+Park&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Mansfield Park</em></a>, a 1983 BBC mini-series;</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!865062~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=34&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Mansfield+Park&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Mansfield Park</em></a>, a 1998 movie made in Britain starring Frances O’Connor; and</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1238396~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=38&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Mansfield+Park&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Mansfield Park</em></a>, 2007 telefilm made for British TV.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Emma:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><em>Clueless</em>, a 1995 movie that moves the action to current-day California;</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!914631~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=40&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Emma&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Emma</em></a>, a 1996 Miramax film starring Gwyneth Paltrow;</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!967169~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=48&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Emma&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Emma</em></a>, a 1996 telefilm co-produced by the A&amp;E network, starring Kate Beckinsale; and</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1198334~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=50&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Emma&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Emma</em></a>, a 2009 four-part miniseries produced for the BBC.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Northanger Abbey:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!914632~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=70&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Northanger+Abbey&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Northanger Abbey</em></a>, a 1987 telefilm that aired as an episode of the BBC series Screen Two; and</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1116139~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=74&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Northanger+Abbey&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Northanger Abbey</em></a>, a 2007 telefilm produced by Granada Television for Britain’s ITV.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Persuasion:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><em>Persuasion</em>, a 1995 telefilm/theatrical film primarily produced by the BBC; and</li>
<li><a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1113579~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=58&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Persuasion&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Persuasion</em></a>, a 2007 telefilm originally aired by&nbsp;Britain’s ITV and&nbsp;starring Sally Hawkins.</li>
</ul>
<p><img alt="Becoming Jane DVD cover" src="/sites/default/files/Becoming%20Jane_6.jpg" style="float:right; height:285px; margin:5px; width:200px" />Some would argue that <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!888552~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=60&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Bridget+Jones%27s+diary&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Bridget Jones’s Diary</em></a> (2001) belongs on the above list as a loose adaptation of <em>Pride and Prejudice</em>, while others are vehement in their denial. Certainly, there are referential nods to Austen’s work, but as for it being an actual adaptation, well,&nbsp;I’ll let you decide.</p>
<p>If those aren’t enough Austen titles to satiate you, there’re more still that use Austen’s life, or her works, as a departure point for still further screen amusement. These include <em>Jane Austen in Manhattan</em> (1980), <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1106355~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=113&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Becoming+Jane&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Becoming Jane</em></a> (2007), <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1106361~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=115&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=The+Jane+Austen+Book+Club&amp;index=PALLTI">The <em>Jane Austen Book Club</em></a> (2007), <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1113597~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=117&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Miss+Austen+regrets.&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Miss Austen Regrets</em></a> (2008), and <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1160254~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=119&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Lost+in+Austen&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Lost in Austen</em></a> (2008). And finally, if you want the straight dope on her life (or as much as is known), watch A&amp;E’s <a href="http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1H8617X72109C.12586&amp;profile=ce&amp;uri=link=3100006~!1079838~!3100001~!3100002&amp;aspect=subtab38&amp;menu=search&amp;ri=121&amp;source=~!horizon&amp;term=Jane+Austen&amp;index=PALLTI"><em>Jane Austen</em></a>, an episode of that network’s old <em>Biography</em> TV series.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/tags/movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">movies</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/blog/tags/adaptations" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">adaptations</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blog/tags/television" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">television</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Blog:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/media-musings" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Media Musings</a></div></div></div>Wed, 04 Dec 2013 15:59:44 +0000Kevin4172 at http://dmpl.org